Hamilton Family #1
By: Diane Alberts
Releasing May 15, 2017
Entangled Indulgence
Link to Follow Tour: Tasty Book Tours
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Blurb
Eric Hamilton isn’t looking for love. Hell, he isn’t even looking for a girl. He has a five-year plan, and he’s one hundred percent focused on that. But then Shelby walks into his life, and suddenly, he can’t think about anything else. Unfortunately for him, she hates his guts, and wants nothing to do with him. But he’s a man who loves a challenge.
Shelby Jefferson can’t wait to get out of the city, and back to her country roots. She moved to Atlanta for a guy who promptly left her, and the last thing she wants is to fall for another man who might make her want to stay. But Eric is nothing if not persistent, and before long she’s inside his arms, in his bed, and she’s falling for him. Hard. But when history repeats itself, and she has to choose between a man and herself––again.
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A fun, flirty read with just enough heat and sass!
Eric is busy. Plain and simple. He’s vying for a junior partner position at the law firm and he barely has time for his family, let alone a relationship. When he sees court reporter Shelby for the first time – or I should say notices her for the first time, his jaw almost lands next to her stilettos.
Shelby has always noticed Eric. Noticed his handsomeness, his intelligence, his impatience, his determination. He’s been the costar in her sexy dreams. But she has no intention of staying in Atlanta or living in any other big city. She changed her life and moved to Atlanta for a man who promptly left and humiliated her. She vowed to never do it again. And when she and Eric decide to have a little fun, he vowed to make her keep that promise. When the time came, he’d help her pack, wish her well, and wave goodbye.
Easy, peasy right?
Well, now if it were, there wouldn’t be a story now would there?
Since no one is trying to impress the other or embark on anything long term, they let their guards down and simply be. Be relaxed, be open, be honest. All things they both find irresistible. So irresistible that have trouble letting each other go.
Now I won’t ruin the rest for you, but I will say this. Alberts has done a great job with characterization. I really like them both. They are fun, feisty, and willing to go after what they want. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Nice curve ball. Kudos to Alberts. Eric has brothers that open the door for a series, although at this point, I’m not sure if that’s the intent, but if so, I’m more than happy to keep reading. It’s somewhat of a quick read, but I didn’t feel cheated in the least.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 1 cup of coffee
Author Info
Diane Alberts is a USA TODAY bestselling Contemporary Romance author with Entangled Publishing. Under the name Jen McLaughlin, she also writes New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling books with Penguin Random House. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency.
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
He patted his pockets and turned around to pick up his jacket. His muscles flexed under his shirt, something the fabric did nothing to hide. He wore a gray suit, and the pants hugged his rear. And when he turned around…sweet baby Jesus.
It hugged other things, too.
Things she’d been without for over two years now.
He faced her and froze. He stared at her again, taking in her red dress, and the heels she’d carefully put on earlier. She never wore heels. Or tight dresses. But tonight…
What was she doing?
This was a horrible idea.
“Christ, Shelby, you’re beautiful.” He ran his knuckles down her bare arm, leaving behind a tingling sensation that quickly turned into red-hot need. His nostrils flared, and he stepped closer, reading her reaction to him like an open book and clearly liking what he saw. “I want to kiss you. Right here. Right now.”
Her stomach tightened in response, and she pressed a hand to it as her breath quickened. It didn’t help. Nothing would. Nothing except…him. He seemed unaware of her internal struggle as he rested a hand on her lower back. His touch burned through the fabric, scorching her skin, and he stepped closer. His cologne teased her nose, and she breathed it in, swaying closer.
That was all it took.
He lowered his face, his mouth an inch from hers as he—
No. No, no, no, no.
“Can I have a second, please?” she blurted as she sidestepped him.
He frowned, letting go of her instantly, his forehead wrinkled with confusion. “Yes, of course.”
She bolted into the bathroom, closing the door and taking deep breaths. The room spun, and all she could think, all she could feel, was his hand on her, and her reaction to it.
This was a bad idea.
Horrible.
Yet, if she didn’t see this through, if she didn’t show him she was the wrong girl for him in the most obvious way possible, then he’d keep throwing those heated stares her way, like he had today in court, and he’d haunt her forever.
Eventually, if he kept staring at her like he was starving and she was his next meal, she’d give in and let him win gobble her up. She couldn’t let that happen.
This had to end tonight.
“Shelby?” he called out, knocking lightly on the door. “Look, if you changed your mind, we can just cancel the date and—”
She opened the door, meeting his eyes. “I didn’t change my mind. I just”—needed a second to breathe—“had to powder my nose again. My makeup was uneven.”
He eyed her suspiciously but stepped aside so she could come out. “If you’re sure. I’d never want you to think you had to go out with me. If you’re not interested, then I’ll go home. No harm done. I’ll leave you alone.”
But he wouldn’t. Not really.
She had to make him not want her anymore.